Milwaukee vs. Orlando: Bucks Stymie Magic, 114-102

On a back-to-back, the Bucks were able to get the job done vs. the visiting Orlando Magic, 114-102.

It was a respectable first quarter for Donte DiVincenzo, whose eight points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting helped the Bucks capture a 29-22 lead after one quarter of play. Giannis Antetokounmpo would also chip in with seven points of his own.

The Bucks would really grow upon their lead in the second, keeping the advantage at double-digits throughout the period. We knew this was a game that the Bucks could easily exhibit control, and they really did during this period. At the interval, Milwaukee had constructed a 59-48 lead.

Milwaukee would play with their lead a little bit to start off the third quarter, as the Magic were able to slice into things to single digits. The Bucks would be able to open things back up to double digits, but by the end of the third, the Magic had sliced things to 79-71.

From that point on, the Bucks were able to weather the storm. In his postgame availability, Bud mentioned how he thought the focus really helped the squad secure the win. The Magic never came too close to put this one in any danger of being relinquished. When the final horn sounded, the Bucks took home a 114-102 victory.

Giannis Antetokounmpo would score a game-high 27 points. Nobody for the Magic would cross the 20 point mark, with Cole Anthony producing the most with 18 on the night.

What Did We Learn?

There wasn’t a lot a lot of scoring in this one. Giannis Anteokounmpo would lead the Bucks with 23 points, but that was the only player for Milwaukee who finished about that 20 point watermark. I thought that was interesting that the Bucks were able to keep command through the majority of this one despite having that low of scoring in the box score. It pretty much spoke to just how sort of bland this entire game was.

Three Observations

Donte DiVincenzo had a respectable outing.

In the first quarter, it was like he couldn’t miss. As mentioned above, he had a perfect shooting display in that period and helped Milwaukee capture the lead. He’d continue to have a strong night from that point on, capping his evening with a 19 point performance. He’d go 7-of-12 from the floor and knock down several threes. With the postseason on the horizon, now is the right time for Donte’s confidence to be blossoming. If that’s riding a high wave, it should bode well for Milwaukee.

Bobby Portis was all over the glass.

He likely would have wanted to score more than ten points, but Bobby Portis still made quite the impact on this game. He’d finish with 15 rebounds, which further epitomizes just how important he will be in the postseason. That type of energy, especially off the bench, will be really well appreciated. Any time a team can capitalize on the “hustle points” in a playoff series are always momentum shifting, and Bobby Portis is definitely a type of player that fits that mold.

The Bucks continue to win at Fiserv Forum.

With the win, the Bucks continued their season best home game winning streak, as that got extended to seven games. The Bucks now own a 25-10 record at Fiserv Forum Milwaukee enters tonight’s game riding a season-best six-game home winning streak. As the playoffs come into focus, the Bucks will be happy to have some home cooking, especially with how the capacity got increased to 50%. As for the rest of the Eastern Conference? Here’s how things currently stand:

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Khris MIddleton’s 20-point scoring streak would come to an end at six games last night. He finished with 11 points. It ended up being tied for the third-longest 20-point scoring streak of his career.
• Mo Wagner and Giannis continued to get in some tussles. For a look back at some of the other moments between the two, let’s take a look at this tweet from our friend Eric Nehm:

• Is it time for a Magic rebrand? They have one of the coolest team names in the league, but a relatively old logo and uniform. Thoughts?
• In his postgame presser, Bud mentioned how important Donte’s playmaking ability is. Here’s an example of that:

• Last, these videos never get old: